Livni 'to Bury' Bill against Dividing Capital

Justice Minister Tzipi Livni was quick to announce on Sunday that she will appeal a decision by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation to put the Coalition's support behind a bill that would require any withdrawals from land within the city limits of Jerusalem to be approved by 80 MKs. The law was authored by MK Yaakov Litzman (UTJ).

The appeal by Livni will send the bill back to the Ministerial Committee for Legislation before it is brought for a Knesset vote. According to news site Walla, Livni – who chairs the committee – is expected to “bury” the bill simply by postponing indefinitely the date for a new vote on it.

Bills approved by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation usually pass in the Knesset because they enjoy the support of the majority Coalition. Bills that fail to pass in the Committee usually fail to pass in the Knesset.

Livni explained that she opposes the bill because “we are in a period when the entire world and the Arab world are looking at us and the subject of Jerusalem is sensitive, therefore while there are negotiations with the Palestinians there is no room for such bills.”

Livni heads the Israeli delegation to the talks. She is widely seen as favoring deep Israeli concessions to the Palestinians, including the division of Jerusalem. MK Litzman's bill would have made effecting such a division very difficult, even if it was agreed upon by the negotiating teams.

According to a recent report, Livni has said in various conversations that Israel is willing to compromise in Jerusalem, to withdraw from Judea and Samaria and to uproot communities.